Dillinger (1945)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Max Nosseck

Writer:

Philip Yordan (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 March 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

SHOCK-BY-SHOCK STORY OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS BANDIT OF OUR TIMES!! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

The rise of John Dillinger from petty criminal (including, unforgiveably, holding up a cinema) via prison...

Plot Keywords:

Bank Robbery | Prison | Organ Grinder | Bank Robber | Whittling

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Edmund Lowe	...	Specs Green
Anne Jeffreys	...	Helen Rogers
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Marco Minelli (as Eduardo Cianelli)
Marc Lawrence	...	Doc Madison
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Kirk Otto
Ralph Lewis	...	Tony
Elsa Janssen	...	Mrs. Otto (as Else Jannsen)
Ludwig Stössel	...	Mr. Otto (as Ludwig Stossel)
Constance Worth	...	Blonde
Lawrence Tierney	...	John Dillinger

Also Known As:

John Dillinger, Killer (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #10511) | West Germany:16 (nf)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

King Brothers Productions

Trivia:

Many conservative social and religious groups demanded that the film be withdrawn or banned outright because of what they considered its "brutal and sensational" subject matter. The Chicago Censorship Board banned the film from being shown in Chicago for two years.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: This film, which is set primarily in the Midwest, was clearly shot in California. For example, there are mountains visible about 15 minutes in when John goes to the cement factory.

Quotes:

Helen Rogers: Who lives here?
John Dillinger: What do you care?
Helen Rogers: Well, I just like to know where I am.
John Dillinger: You're with me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Soundtrack:

Silent Night

"B" Movie That Rivals an "A" Product

This taut little crime noir is worth watching a couple of times. It has a short running time which was typical of "B" films and it packs a lot of action into a little over 60 minutes.

What a cast this film boasts!!......Edmund Lowe, a former screen idol of the silents and early talkies; Marc Lawrence and Eduardo Cianelli who could never shake their bad guy images; the greatest of all character actors, Elisha Cook Jr. whose career spanned in excess of 50 years; and Lawrence Tierney, born to portray a criminal. Tierney, who was a bad boy in real life (which sank his career for many years before he made a comeback in the 1980s)is the epitome of a cold eyed, hardened gangster who lives for today and the hell with tomorrow. Tierney, whose brother Scott Brady was a recurring presence in films of the 50s, will always be recognized for this part alone and it could have shot him to stardom but his personal life got in the way.......too bad. This film is a standout in the realm of "B" movies and is worthy of it's reputation.